Pork and Peas it's a Zin

Over Heavenly Rice and Peas

Well, we’re getting into some winter weather, at least around these parts. While I don’t expect it to last too long, I, for one, relish these cold, crisp days, though I do look for ways to liven them up a bit. I’ll give you one guess how.

That’s right, food and wine, or wine and food, depending on whether you’re coming or going. Last Friday we were sitting around the office, tasting some Zinfandel, as we are wont to do on a Friday, when we came across a few wonderful wines.

As many of you probably already know, I love a good Zin, and one of the ones we were trying really rang my bell, so the next challenge, of course, was pairing it with a meal.

What to expect: Zinfandel

Zinfandel is considered America's own great indigenous grape, even though it's origins lie on the Adriatic coast. Planted throughout California, and in to the Pacific Northwest, Zinfandel is at it's best in warm regions with cooler temperatures during harvest. The wines can range from off-dry Roses (the ubiquitous White Zinfandel) to light bistro styled wines, big, rich powerful wines and even luscious dessert bottling. The flavors range from plummy to raspberry, though deep blackberry fruit and brambly spice tones are most common.

Zinfandel can be tricky to pair with food; it can be intensely fruity and high in alcohol, a delicate balance that is easily disturbed. My favorite wine of the day however was pretty well balanced and had just enough spicy oak to add an additional dimension to the wine without totally dominating it. I knew exactly what the wine needed, a spicy, slightly smoky and full flavored seductress of a pork dish, and the chorizo scented rice and black eyed peas side dish that was it’s perfect partner!

And thus my weekend’s highlight was preordained. I was going to whip up some Magical Marinated Pork Tenderloin with an earthy side dish of Heavenly Rice and Peas.

These two recipes work wonderfully together, and the leftover rice and beans is one of my favorite leftover surprises! It actually is great with eggs for breakfast so don’t be afraid of making too much! And if you’re wondering whether my recent Caribbean vacation had anything to do with these recipes, let me just Oh Yeah. What better way to celebrate a wonderful winters day than by introducing some Sunny spice!

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Comments

hi. anyone keen on shouting a young kiwi a trip to california? shot! always appreciated aye. been a big red head since i was a kid thanks to being teased with cases of kim crawford just hanging around the house. bad idea mum, but good taste for a good ten years ago. still good wine to. and now i just found zinfandel. heck! easily my no 1 red. but not to easy to find over here. if you cant afford to buy me plane tickets and pay for my accomodation and food and booze, its ok, niether can i. but please consider sending me a case of this fantabulous wine. mmm such a nice wine... cant wait till winter so i can cook a hella spicey meatloaf and rose up my cheeks with some zin. i'll be thinking of you as i catch some fish of the beach tomorow.
tino aroha-nui
zjh

Just visited Cline Cellars last weekend. Have had their basic Zin here in Atlanta, and really like it, but loved much of the rest of their repertoir, including the Old Vine Zin, so much that we joined their club. Now waiting for the first shipment.

Pork and rice and pea recipe looks delicous! I hope I can find the dried chorizo---something I have not cooked with. This site could revamp my cooking interest. This will give me a meal to drink my Roshambo "The Reverend" with---one of my favorite Zins. Thanks

Great recipe, Greg, and good match to the Zin. Very much a style of dish(es) that I prepare, so after my oven's repaired I'll be making this, though I'm tempted to do so this weekend using a Dutch oven... ;-)

It is to a level of such enigmatic tendencies to judje wine into the triviality of food decisions, moodly decisions. We should no longer subordinate to this unless we have got fully informed about it. Don´t you think?

Made it last night...eliminated the black-eyed peas, though (daughter didn't want gas on her int'l flight today). Leftovers tonight were even better! Def keeper. Dynamite zin 2008 north coast went great with it.

I will have to try this pairing! I have always been told that Zins pair with bbq ("it's a great bbq wine!", exclaimed by numerous CA tasting room personnel). I have never paired a zin with pork... I usually pair Pinot Noir with pork, but will DEFINITELY try this! THanks...

I made your magical pork tenderloin for my wife this evening. We are not great zin fans (in fact, we know nothing about zins), so we dipped our toes in the zin waters with a Kirkland (Costco) zin. Your recipe bowled us over. Fantastic!!! And the pairing wasn't too shabby either.I served it with roasted squash and a green salad. Maybe I'll try it with one of the recommended zins. If you have more marinated pork tenderloin recipes, please post them --I'd love to try them. Thanks again for a knockout suggestion.

I used a boneless pork loin of 3 lbs. and tripled the marinade recipe. i let it marinate for 24 hours in the fridge then brought it to room temp. it was roasted at 400 for about 40 minutes but i pulled it when the internal hit 140 as read by my remote thermometer. i let it rest for 7 minutes or so until it hit 150.then served it. it was the best piece of meat i've ever tasted!! the heavenly rice and peas were heavenly as well. try this on the in laws. Amazing
Steve Whelan